Visitors told to leave the Eurobodalla now or be ready with a fire survival plan

Eurobodalla fire resources are being readied for severe conditions over the next two days. Photo: Alex Rea

Summer tourists in popular South Coast visitor destinations have been told in no uncertain terms to leave the Eurobodalla now if they are planning to go as fire risks heighten over the next two days.

The warning extends to people in South Durras, Batemans Bay, Broulee, Moruya, Tuross Head, Narooma and Tilba, all popular destinations for Canberrans and regional visitors who may also have holiday homes in the area.

NSW Rural Fire Services warned today that there is significant potential for fires on the Far South Coast to impact people’s travel plans tomorrow and over coming days in all those areas as they brace for significant adverse weather conditions.

They say that visitors who choose to remain may not be able to leave until fire-impacted areas can be made safe. If you need to leave, leaving now is the safest option. All travel plans should be reconsidered in light of the risk.

Similar warnings for the Shoalhaven were issued two days ago when emergency operations controller Ray Stynes and incident controller Superintendent Mark Williams asked visitors to stay away if possible due to intense pressure on local resources.

Access to the coast from Canberra has been cut for weeks as the Kings Highway remains shut from Braidwood as fires rage across the Clyde. Visitors have been forced to travel over Brown Mountain to Bega or down the coast via Kangaroo Valley. But as the Currowan fire edges north towards the Southern Highlands, those routes are also coming under threat.

Crews are currently attempting to control the north and northeastern fronts of the Currowan fire but the RFS says there is “every likelihood” that the fire could cross the Shoalhaven River. In a worst-case scenario, it could reach the village of Kangaroo Valley, although not immediately.

The RFS says that anyone who intends to stay on the South Coast should have a bushfire survival plan ready to enact. Visitors should not enter bushland areas.

Check Live Traffic and Fires Near Me prior to departure, and regularly during your journey. Drive with your car headlights on at all times so you can be seen, and travel with extra food and water.

Stay up to date with the latest RFS information via Fires Near Me, call 1800 679 737 or listen to ABC Southeast radio or 2EC/PowerFM.